By Austin Ogwuda
A well known Political Leader/Strategist, Chief Emma Ejiofor PhD has cautioned that on no account should the people of Delta North Senatorial District of Delta State, Nigeria otherwise referred to, as Anioma be annexed to the South East region in the quest to get Anioma State created.
Ejiofor, a prominent Deltan from Anioma equally noted the issue of leadership has been the bane of the Anioma nation in actualizing common goal as there is no clear cut leader who can chest out to say I am the leader of the people and the followers would concur, coupled with the fact that the traditional institution within the Anioma dormain is also sharply divided.
Speaking to The Townhall in an exclusive interview, Ejiofor recalled that many years back when the Anioma creation issue was in the front burner, that the Ndokwa people came to Asaba Ladies Club in Asaba where discussions were going on to say they were not part of it; while the Ika people which, you know, are singing different tune about the issue.
Said he, “the issue is that State creation is not a one man show. Before you start agitating for State creation you have to consult, then you have to go with the people’s opinion.
“But the vexed issue there is speculating to carve us into South East. There is an abarretion to natural law and moral concern. We are not from the South East. To the people there (South East) most of them have identity crisis. I am an Anioma man. You can imagine in Nigeria, we had Northern region, Eastern region and Western region.
What I am saying is that we should not be pushed into the South East because we want State creation
And at a stage we belonged to what was called Midwestern region so how can you now take part of the Midwestern region to join Eastern region on what historical perspective?
“And it is not just something you ring a bell and say I am sponsoring, you have to come down let us talk and we know is a collective thing not a an individual thing. So I am not against the creation of Anioma State if it is feasible but what I am saying is that it cannot be pushed into South East because we want creation.
“Okay, what part of the East, are you going to take besides Onitsha. Are you going to cancel Awka that is Anambra because if you carve now you carve only….These people they want Wawa State so you have to go historical when you are talking about creation of State”, he added.
He concluded by asking that if Anioma State is eventually created what would happen to Asaba the capital of Delta State, would it be carried or annexed to the East, he asked.
*Watch out for another topical issue which he spoke about during the interview with The Townhall.
